Vladimir Putin answered questions from Tucker Carlson

Vladimir Putin answered questions from Tucker Carlson, a journalist and founder of Tucker Carlson Network.

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Who blew up Nord Stream?

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You did.

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I was busy that day.

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I did not blow up Nord Stream.

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Thank you though.

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Well, personally you might have an alibi.

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But CIA doesn't have one.

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Do you have evidence that NATO or CIA did it?

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You know, I'm not going to go into detail.

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But as they say, you've got to search for someone who had interest in that.

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And in this particular case, you have to search not just for someone who is interested in that,

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but also someone who has the capabilities, because there are many people who are interested in that.

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But, you know, not everyone is capable of scouring the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

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But I'm confused. I mean, that's the biggest act of industrial terrorism ever.

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And it's the largest emission of CO2 in history.

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So if you had evidence, and presumably given your security services, your intel services, you would,

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that NATO, the US, CIA, the West, did this, why wouldn't you present it and win a propaganda victory?

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Well, it's very difficult, you know, to achieve a propaganda victory,

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because the US controls all the global media.

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And as far as many Europeans, European media are concerned,

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the end beneficiary in many cases are American funds, foundations.

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So, you know, getting mired in that, well, this is one avenue to pursue.

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But, you know, it can turn out to be very expensive.

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And moreover, we might reveal our own sources of information without securing the end result.

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The whole world understands what happened, and even the American analysts speak about that publicly.

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But here's a question you may be able to answer. You worked in Germany, famously.

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The Germans clearly know that their NATO partner did this.

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But they, and it damaged their economy greatly. It may never recover.

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Why are they being silent about it? That's very confusing to me.

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Why wouldn't the Germans say something about it?

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Well, I am as confused as you are.

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But the current German leadership is not guided by national interests.

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What it's guided by is the interests of the collective West.

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Otherwise, it would be very difficult to explain the rationale for their action or a mission to act.

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Well, yes, Nord Stream 1 was blown up.

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Nord Stream 2 has been damaged.

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But one of the streams is still very much alive, and you can get gas through this line.

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But they're not getting that. We are willing to do that, but they're not asking for that.

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And they're trying to get gas through the route via Poland, and Poland has shut that down.

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But Poland is eating from the hands of Germans.

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They're taking money from the European funds, whereas the biggest donor to those funds is Germany.

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But Poland has shut down the pipeline leading to Germany.

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Why did they do that? I do not understand.

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Let's have a look at Ukraine.

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Germany is the second biggest donor after the U.S. in terms of financial aid provided to Ukraine.

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Through Ukraine, there are two gas pipelines.

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So why wouldn't they take one of the gas pipelines?

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They could ask Ukraine to open that up, and they would get gas from Russia.

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So the Germans are giving them money, giving them weapons.

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So they could ask for gas from Russia in response, because otherwise they have to pay triple price for LNG.

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And it brings down the competitiveness of the German economy.

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And they've given money to Ukraine, and they could ask in recompense for some economic support like gas.

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So you should ask them why they're doing what they're doing.

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Maybe the world is breaking into two hemispheres, one with cheap energy, the other without.

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And I want to ask you that.

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If we're now a multipolar world, obviously we are.

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Can you describe the blocks of alliances?

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Who is in each side, do you think?

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You are saying the world is being split into two hemispheres.

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It's our brain that is divided into hemispheres.

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One hemisphere is responsible for one field of action.

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The other is more creative.

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But still, it's one brain, it's one head.

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And the world should be one, should be united.

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Security should be together, should be common, shared.

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It shouldn't be security just for the golden billion.

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And only if it's one world, then the world is going to be predictable and stable.

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And as long as the head is split into two, it's a disease and a grave one, too.

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And right now the world is suffering from this grave disease.

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But I think to a large extent, thanks to sincere and honest journalism, we will be able to overcome that disease.

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Well, let's just give one example, the US dollar, which has kind of united the world in a lot of ways.

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Maybe not to your advantage, but certainly to ours.

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Is that going away as the reserve currency, the universally accepted currency?

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How have sanctions, do you think, changed the dollar's place in the world?

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Well, you know, I think this is one of the gravest strategic mistakes committed by the US leadership.

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You know, using the US dollar as an instrument for foreign political confrontation,

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because dollar was the cornerstone of American prosperity and power,

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and everyone understands and understood that, because however many dollars you've printed,

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they go around the world, inflation is at a minimum, I don't know, 3 percent or so, 4 percent,

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which is an acceptable level for the US.

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And you can print as many US dollars as you like,

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you know, because the public debt of the US is testimony to that.

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But be that as it may, dollar is still the cornerstone of American power across the world.

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But once the US leadership decided to use the US dollar as an instrument for foreign policy confrontation,

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once they did that, they dealt a blow to the American power.

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I would be loath to, you know, use better words that are improper, but it is a very grave mistake.

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Look, even the American allies decrease their dollar reserves,

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they are starting to search for ways to shield themselves,

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because if the US applies restrictive measures to certain countries,

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such as, you know, freezing assets or restrictions on transactions,

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then it is a very grave signal to the whole world.

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What did happen in Russia?

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Until 2022, around 80 percent of Russian foreign trade transactions were carried out in US dollars,

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and US dollar accounted for about 50 percent of our transactions with third countries,

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whereas currently this figure has been brought down to 13 percent or so.

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But we were not the ones to prohibit the use of US dollars.

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This was not our goal.

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It was the US decision to restrict our transactions in dollars, which is absurd,

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especially from the point of view of the interests of the US taxpayers,

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because this decision has dealt a blow to the American economy,

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undermining the American power across the world.

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Incidentally, our transactions in yuan accounted for just 3 percent.

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Right now, we have gone up to 30 percent in transactions in rubles

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and 34 percent in yuan, in renminbi.

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So why did the US do that?

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I think it is self-conceit.

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They thought that the Russian economy was going to collapse,

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but it did not.

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Moreover, look at the other oil-producing countries.

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They are doing the same thing.

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They are following our suit.

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They start to pay for oil in renminbi.

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Do they understand what they are doing in the US?

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What are they doing?

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You know, it is like oil is a commodity.

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What are they doing?

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It is like undermining their own prosperity.

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Ask anyone who is a thinking person in the US.

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I think that is a fair assessment.

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The question is what comes next,

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and maybe you trade one colonial power for another,

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much less sentimental and forgiving colonial power.

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Is the BRICS, for example, in danger of being completely

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dominated by the Chinese economy

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in a way that is not good for their sovereignty?

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Do you worry about that?

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You know these spooky stories?

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We have heard them before, bogeyman stories.

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China and us are neighbors.

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You cannot choose neighbors or relatives.

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We share a border with them, 1,000 kilometers.

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This is number one.

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Number two, we are used to one another.

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We have been around for centuries.

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In terms of our coexistence, third,

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the foreign affairs philosophy of China is not aggressive.

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Their main tenets are about searching for compromise,

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for a trade-off, and we can see that.

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The next point is as follows, and I try to lay it out mildly

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in my language, where I said that the volume of cooperation

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and trade with China keeps growing while the pace

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of the growth of China's cooperation with Europe

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is higher, outpacing the cooperation with Russia.

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Just ask the Europeans, are they not afraid

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of being exposed to China?

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They might be, but you know, anyway,

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they want to enter the Chinese market

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when they face the economic issues now.

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They're facing economic issues now,

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and the Chinese enterprises and companies

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are tapping into the European market.

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And there are a lot of Chinese entrepreneurs

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and businesses in the U.S.

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Well, the policies are to the effect of confining.

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They are damaging themselves, actually.

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Trying to confine, limit cooperation with China,

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you're damaging your economy.

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This is a very intricate matter.

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There can be no silver bullet solutions.

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As also regards the dollar, well,

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with respect to the legitimate from the perspective

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of the UN Charter sanctions, one should have a second thought,

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whether to make such decisions or not.

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So you said a moment ago that the world

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would be a lot better if it weren't broken

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into competing alliances, if there was cooperation globally.

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One of the reasons you don't have that

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is because the current American administration

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is dead set against you.

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Do you think if there were a new administration

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after Joe Biden that you would be able to reestablish

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communication with the U.S. government?

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Or does it not matter who the president is?

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Let me finish the previous thought.

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We have $200 billion.

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This is the target of myself and that of my friends,

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Xi Jinping, the President of China.

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We want to reach $200 billion of mutual trade.

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And we have smashed that.

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We have exceeded that.

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We have around $200 billion.

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We have around $230 billion of bilateral trade.

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And the Chinese statistics say that it's around $240 billion.

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And what is important is that it is a well-balanced type

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of mutual trade, mutually complementary in energy

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and scientific solutions and technological solutions

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and other things.

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It's well balanced in an equilibrium.

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With respect to BRICS, by and large,

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Russia has assumed the presidency there

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since the start of the year.

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And, you know, BRICS countries' powerhouse economy

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is rapidly developing.

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I hope my memory wouldn't let me down.

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In 1992, the G7 countries' proportion of the global

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economy equalled around 47 percent.

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In 1992, it slumped down to 30-something percent,

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while the BRICS share was 16 percent in 1992.

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And now it is in excess of the G7 share in global economy.

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And that has nothing to do with Ukrainian developments.

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The global trends manifest themselves in this way.

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This is inevitable.

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This will keep happening.

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It's like the rise of the sun.

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You cannot prevent the sun from rising.

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You have to accommodate and adjust.

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How does the United States accommodate that?

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With help of force, sanctions, pressure, bombings.

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Armed forces applied everywhere.

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This is about conceit.

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Your political elite does not understand that the world

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has been changing, and it is an objective process,

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a natural process.

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And you have to make proper decisions,

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timely decisions to preserve its level of dominance.

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And such gross actions would lead to the opposite results.

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This is obvious today.

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You've just asked me whether another administration

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in the U.S. would change things.

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It's not about the leader.

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The personality of the administration had a very good

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relationship with George Bush.

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I know that in the United States,

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he is treated as a simple countryside guy that has little

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idea of things, but it's not true.

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And with respect to Russia, he did a lot of mistakes.

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Also, I told you about the Bucharest summit of NATO in

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2008 to open doors to Ukraine.

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But, you know, it was under Bush,

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and he put pressure on the Europeans.

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But actually, I had a good personal relationship with

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them, interpersonal, and it was no worse than any other

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American or Russian or European politician.

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He knew what he was doing, as well as other people I had.

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A good relationship with Donald Trump.

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It's not about the personality of the leaders,

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it's about the sentiment of the elites.

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If the American society has the prevalence of domination at all

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costs with the help of resorting to force,

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things will deteriorate, keep deteriorating.

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But if they come to a conclusion,

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they come to infer that the world is changing and that it's

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a natural process that cannot be helped,

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they have to adjust themselves using the advantage that the

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American nation still has.

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In this case, something will change for the better.

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00:17:30,079 --> 00:17:34,400
The Chinese economy has become number one by PPP.

248
00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,319
They have outpaced the U.S. in volumes.

249
00:17:38,319 --> 00:17:42,920
And then there is India, 1.5 billion people living there.

250
00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,599
Then comes Japan, fourth.

251
00:17:46,599 --> 00:17:49,920
Russia is fifth global largest economy.

252
00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,440
Last year it became the largest economy in Europe,

253
00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,920
despite all the restrictions and sanctions.

254
00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,680
I do think it is natural.

255
00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,640
A lot of sanctions are exerted against us.

256
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:05,880
We have been disconnected from SWIFT transaction system,

257
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:07,920
and our ships are under sanctions,

258
00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:12,560
our vessels, oil-carrying vessels and aircraft of ours.

259
00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:16,759
The biggest number of sanctions in the world is applied against

260
00:18:16,759 --> 00:18:20,879
this country, and we have become the biggest economy of Europe

261
00:18:20,879 --> 00:18:22,079
over that period of time.

262
00:18:22,079 --> 00:18:25,279
The instruments and the policies of the United States

263
00:18:25,279 --> 00:18:26,759
are ineffective.

264
00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:30,400
So they should think what to do.

265
00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,480
If they come to understand that, I mean,

266
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,400
the elites, the ruling classes, things will improve,

267
00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:44,039
and the leader of the country will probably act in the

268
00:18:44,079 --> 00:18:48,480
interests of the voters and the decision-makers at different levels.

269
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,279
But you're describing two different systems.

270
00:18:50,279 --> 00:18:52,839
You say the leader acts in the interest of the voters,

271
00:18:52,839 --> 00:18:55,159
but you also say these decisions are not made by the leader,

272
00:18:55,159 --> 00:18:57,599
they're made by the ruling classes.

273
00:18:57,599 --> 00:18:59,559
You've run this country for so long,

274
00:18:59,559 --> 00:19:01,159
you've known all these American presidents.

275
00:19:01,159 --> 00:19:06,079
What are those power centers in the United States, do you think?

276
00:19:06,079 --> 00:19:09,279
Like, who actually makes the decisions?

277
00:19:10,279 --> 00:19:11,480
I don't know.

278
00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,119
America is a very complex system.

279
00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:15,680
On the one hand, it's conservative.

280
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,000
On the other hand, it has been changing rapidly,

281
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:27,759
and it is hard to have an idea, an exact idea of what is happening.

282
00:19:27,759 --> 00:19:29,839
And each state has its own legislation,

283
00:19:29,839 --> 00:19:33,960
each state has its own regulation,

284
00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:38,119
and they can bar people from, candidates from elections.

285
00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:42,600
And they have the two-stage, two-tier electoral system.

286
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:50,160
It is very hard to know it quite well.

287
00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:54,320
There are two main parties, dominating parties,

288
00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:58,360
the bipartisan system, and there is the decision-making center.

289
00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:04,640
But anyway, look, after the collapse of the USSR,

290
00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:09,240
there was an erroneous, unfounded policy against Russia,

291
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,120
the policy of pressure.

292
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:17,000
NATO expansion means pressure and the backing of separatists

293
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,240
in the Caucasus, and the ABM,

294
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,320
the Missile Defense System establishment,

295
00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:22,759
is also about pressure.

296
00:20:22,759 --> 00:20:27,960
Then Ukraine was dragged into NATO.

297
00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,520
It is also an element of pressure.

298
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:31,920
Why?

299
00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:37,720
Because excessive production capabilities were created.

300
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:42,120
Lots of think tanks and centers and Soviet studies professionals

301
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:44,400
that knew no other thing,

302
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,279
and they persuaded the political leadership

303
00:20:47,279 --> 00:20:50,080
that they should keep pressing Russia,

304
00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:54,080
mounting pressure to partition Russia

305
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:58,759
with several quasi-states on its territory

306
00:20:58,759 --> 00:21:02,319
so that their aggregate potential and capability

307
00:21:02,319 --> 00:21:04,920
would be used for further struggle with China.

308
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:11,559
This is a mistake because there have been too many professionals

309
00:21:11,559 --> 00:21:15,960
dealing with the opposition to the USSR.

310
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:20,839
Probably there is need for new, fresh blood and forces

311
00:21:20,839 --> 00:21:22,759
and people that are forward-looking

312
00:21:22,759 --> 00:21:24,640
and know what is happening worldwide.

313
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,560
Look at Indonesia, 600 million people,

314
00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:38,160
a huge population that you cannot turn a blind eye upon.

315
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,360
And Indonesia is now entering the club

316
00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:42,400
of the leading economies.

317
00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:47,280
And despite all economic problems,

318
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,720
the U.S. has a good economic situation,

319
00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:54,680
and the growth rate is around 2.5%.

320
00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,480
If I'm not mistaken.

321
00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:01,559
But actually, if you want to provide for a good future,

322
00:22:01,559 --> 00:22:06,279
you have to change the approach to what has been happening.

323
00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:09,000
The world will anyway change,

324
00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,440
irrespective of what is the outcome of the Ukrainian situation.

325
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,839
The world has been changing.

326
00:22:14,839 --> 00:22:19,480
And the pundits and experts in the U.S.

327
00:22:19,519 --> 00:22:23,759
start writing that gradually the United States

328
00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:27,240
changes its policies to the world.

329
00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,200
But whether it's abrupt, quick, and painful,

330
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:35,680
or smooth and gradual, this is the question.

331
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:39,400
And these are the ideas of people

332
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,079
that are not anti-American in nature,

333
00:22:43,079 --> 00:22:45,720
that just they are looking and tracking

334
00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,559
the global developments.

335
00:22:47,559 --> 00:22:51,839
And I know we need to have more forward-looking people

336
00:22:51,839 --> 00:22:55,599
that can analyze things and recommend something

337
00:22:55,599 --> 00:22:57,240
to the political leadership.

338
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,639
I just have to ask, you've said clearly

339
00:22:59,639 --> 00:23:02,200
that NATO expansion eastward is a violation

340
00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,679
of the promise you all were made in 1990.

341
00:23:04,679 --> 00:23:06,799
It's a threat to your country.

342
00:23:06,799 --> 00:23:10,399
Right before you sent troops into Ukraine,

343
00:23:10,399 --> 00:23:11,599
the Vice President of the United States

344
00:23:11,599 --> 00:23:12,919
went to the Munich Security Conference

345
00:23:12,919 --> 00:23:16,159
and encouraged the President of Ukraine to join NATO.

346
00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:17,600
Do you think that was an effort

347
00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,040
to provoke you into military action?

348
00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:35,400
Well, we repeatedly, on many occasions,

349
00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,920
suggested that decisions to the problems

350
00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,880
that emerged in Ukraine after the coup in 2014

351
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,560
should be found with peaceful means.

352
00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,320
But no one listened to us.

353
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,400
But the Ukrainian leadership that was under the American

354
00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,520
control stated all of a sudden that they would not honor

355
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,920
the Minsk arrangements.

356
00:23:57,920 --> 00:23:59,520
They didn't like a thing about that,

357
00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,480
and they kept waging warfare in that territory.

358
00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,440
And the NATO military structures

359
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,920
tapped into the Ukrainian soil

360
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,000
with training centers and military bases

361
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,800
established under these guides.

362
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,200
And in Ukraine, they proclaimed that the Russians

363
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,800
are not an original nation,

364
00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,440
not an authentic nation, and they enacted laws

365
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,759
that would limit the rights of the ethnic

366
00:24:34,759 --> 00:24:36,560
Russian and Russian speakers.

367
00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:39,480
Ukraine received the southeast as a gift from Russia,

368
00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,320
but all of a sudden they stated that Russians

369
00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,039
were not an authentic ethnicity there.

370
00:24:47,039 --> 00:24:52,039
In their totality, all these things brought about

371
00:24:53,599 --> 00:24:57,599
the desire to stop the war launched by the neo-Nazis

372
00:24:57,599 --> 00:25:01,759
in 2014 in Ukraine with the use of force.

373
00:25:01,759 --> 00:25:03,519
Do you think Zelensky has the freedom

374
00:25:03,519 --> 00:25:06,319
to negotiate a settlement to this conflict?

375
00:25:12,519 --> 00:25:15,720
I do not know the details.

376
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:20,039
I can hardly judge, but I probably think he has.

377
00:25:20,039 --> 00:25:25,000
Well, his father was at war against the Nazis

378
00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:25,839
in the Second World War.

379
00:25:25,839 --> 00:25:28,639
I spoke with him once about that.

380
00:25:28,639 --> 00:25:30,639
I told him, Vladimir, why are you supporting

381
00:25:30,639 --> 00:25:33,839
the neo-Nazi in Ukraine today when your father

382
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,079
fought them, he was the front line soldier.

383
00:25:38,079 --> 00:25:40,519
I would not respond what he,

384
00:25:40,519 --> 00:25:41,879
I wouldn't say what he responded.

385
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:43,320
It would be inappropriate.

386
00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,520
But with respect to liberty and freedom,

387
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,720
well, of his, he rose to power.

388
00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:56,880
Well, with the help of the Ukrainian expectations

389
00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,560
that he would bring peace to Ukraine.

390
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,240
This is why he had a landslide victory.

391
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,480
But when he rose to power, he figured that probably

392
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,880
it would be better not to quarrel with the neo-Nazis

393
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,320
and nationalists because they are aggressive

394
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,399
and you can expect anything, they are loose cannon.

395
00:26:13,399 --> 00:26:18,399
And the second point is that the West will keep supporting

396
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,000
those who are against Russia always,

397
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,039
because it's beneficial.

398
00:26:22,039 --> 00:26:24,439
So this is why he adopted this position,

399
00:26:24,439 --> 00:26:29,439
despite the previous promises and pledges to his people

400
00:26:29,759 --> 00:26:30,960
to stop the war in Ukraine.

401
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,879
So he deceived his own voters.

402
00:26:33,879 --> 00:26:37,039
But do you think at this point, as of February, 2024,

403
00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:40,559
he has the latitude, the freedom to speak with you

404
00:26:40,559 --> 00:26:42,359
or your government directly about putting an end to this,

405
00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:45,839
which clearly isn't helping his country or the world?

406
00:26:45,839 --> 00:26:47,440
Can he do that, do you think?

407
00:26:51,599 --> 00:26:52,440
Why not?

408
00:26:53,679 --> 00:26:55,960
Well, he believes himself to be head of state.

409
00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,000
He won the election, although we believe that all those

410
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:05,000
things that happened after 2014 originated from the coup d'etat

411
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,000
and today's authorities are flawed, deficient.

412
00:27:12,599 --> 00:27:16,000
And he believes himself to be president

413
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,720
and the United States and Europe recognize him

414
00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,079
and acknowledge his status.

415
00:27:21,079 --> 00:27:23,400
Well, we had talks with Ukraine in Istanbul

416
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,759
and we nearly came to terms and he knew about that.

417
00:27:26,759 --> 00:27:30,240
And Mr. Rahami, who led the negotiating team of Ukraine,

418
00:27:30,279 --> 00:27:35,079
still is head of Ukraine's ruling party faction

419
00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,920
in their parliament.

420
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,480
So he still is head of that presidential faction.

421
00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,960
So he's still an MP and he subscribed

422
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:51,960
to the preliminary instrument in Istanbul.

423
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,359
And publicly later, he said that we were ready to sign it.

424
00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:59,319
But Mr. Johnson, the then Prime Minister of the UK,

425
00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:01,480
came and dissuaded us to do so,

426
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,960
saying that better go to war with Russia

427
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,639
and they would give us anything and everything

428
00:28:07,639 --> 00:28:12,639
so that we would return all the lands were lost, he said.

429
00:28:13,279 --> 00:28:16,559
And they agreed, he said.

430
00:28:16,559 --> 00:28:18,319
His statement was made publicly,

431
00:28:18,319 --> 00:28:20,599
said it publicly and openly.

432
00:28:20,599 --> 00:28:22,439
Can they come back to that or not?

433
00:28:23,399 --> 00:28:25,359
Do they want it or not?

434
00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:28,040
And afterwards, the Ukrainian President

435
00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:33,920
issued a decree prohibiting to negotiate with us.

436
00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:35,920
Let him strike it down.

437
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,280
Let him repeal that decree.

438
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,840
Whether Russia is ready, we hear these questions,

439
00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,080
but would not decline to talk.

440
00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,280
Let him abandon and repeal this decree.

441
00:28:50,279 --> 00:28:55,279
And the fact that they obeyed the persuasion

442
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,559
of the former UK Prime Minister Johnson

443
00:28:59,559 --> 00:29:04,559
is ridiculous and very sad, I think, altogether.

444
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,680
As Mr. Arhami said a year and a half ago,

445
00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,960
we could stop the warfare,

446
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,960
but actually the British persuaded us not to do so

447
00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,799
and we turned it down.

448
00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:21,720
Where is Mr. Johnson now and the war is ongoing?

449
00:29:23,039 --> 00:29:24,399
That's a good question.

450
00:29:24,399 --> 00:29:26,759
Where do you think he is and why did he do that?

451
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:31,039
Hell knows.

452
00:29:32,079 --> 00:29:34,759
This was a mainstream idea.

453
00:29:34,759 --> 00:29:37,000
Everybody was delusional that Russia

454
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,000
could be defeated at the battlefield.

455
00:29:39,879 --> 00:29:43,480
This was about self-assurance, conceit,

456
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:48,480
and very few reason, very little reason

457
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:54,440
this was with a whole heart, but with little reasoning.

458
00:29:55,319 --> 00:29:57,599
You've described the connection between Russia and Ukraine.

459
00:29:57,599 --> 00:29:59,440
You've described Russia itself a couple of times

460
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,279
as orthodox, that's central to your understanding of Russia.

461
00:30:02,279 --> 00:30:03,720
You've said you're orthodox.

462
00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,839
What does that mean for you?

463
00:30:06,839 --> 00:30:11,559
You're a Christian leader by your own description.

464
00:30:11,559 --> 00:30:13,399
So what effect does that have on you?

465
00:30:18,919 --> 00:30:23,919
Well, you know, as I mentioned previously,

466
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:30,480
in 988, Prince Vladimir underwent baptism

467
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,440
as his grandmother Olga had done,

468
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:42,039
and then his armed troops also got converted,

469
00:30:42,039 --> 00:30:45,279
and then other Russians converted

470
00:30:45,279 --> 00:30:49,480
into orthodox Christianity.

471
00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:53,480
It took some time, and then it put some roots,

472
00:30:54,759 --> 00:30:58,079
very deep roots in the minds of Russian people.

473
00:30:58,079 --> 00:31:03,079
When Russia expanded, taking other nations and peoples,

474
00:31:03,359 --> 00:31:06,639
professing Judaism, Islam, Buddhism,

475
00:31:06,639 --> 00:31:11,639
Russia was always very loyal to those

476
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,359
who followed other religions,

477
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,640
and this was the source of Russia's power.

478
00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,040
There's no doubt about that.

479
00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:24,280
All world religions I have mentioned

480
00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:26,160
and which are also traditional religions

481
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:31,160
of the Russian Federation have almost the same precepts.

482
00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,040
The values in these world religions

483
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,640
are very close, if not identical.

484
00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:42,640
And the Russian authorities have always cherished

485
00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,759
the culture and the religions of peoples

486
00:31:48,759 --> 00:31:52,200
admitted into the fold of the Russian state,

487
00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:54,880
which served as the cornerstone of security

488
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:58,320
and stability of the Russian nation,

489
00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,840
of the Russian people, because all peoples,

490
00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,120
almost all peoples living here view Russia

491
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,880
as their motherland.

492
00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,000
Say, if there are people coming to the U.S.

493
00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,520
from Latin America, or there are migrants

494
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,440
coming to Europe, very often they come

495
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,520
from their historical land to you,

496
00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:23,520
to European countries, whereas those

497
00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,640
who profess other religions than orthodox Christianity

498
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,920
in Russia still view Russia as their motherland.

499
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,080
We are all one big family, and our traditional values

500
00:32:34,119 --> 00:32:35,519
are very close.

501
00:32:35,519 --> 00:32:39,319
I said this is one big family, but each family

502
00:32:40,079 --> 00:32:41,919
also includes other smaller families,

503
00:32:41,919 --> 00:32:44,960
and this is the basic foundation of our society.

504
00:32:45,879 --> 00:32:50,319
And if the family has tight-knit connections,

505
00:32:50,319 --> 00:32:53,399
then that is exactly the case, because you cannot

506
00:32:53,399 --> 00:32:56,159
assure a normal future for your children

507
00:32:56,159 --> 00:33:01,159
unless you ensure a normal future for the whole country.

508
00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,920
But can I say that the one way in which

509
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,400
the religions are different is that Christianity

510
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,680
is specifically a nonviolent religion.

511
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,240
Jesus says, turn the other cheek, don't kill.

512
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:17,080
How can a leader who has to kill, of any country,

513
00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:19,080
how can a leader be a Christian?

514
00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:21,720
How do you reconcile that to yourself?

515
00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,120
Well, it's easier to reconcile if you need

516
00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,400
to protect yourself, your family, your country.

517
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,280
We have not attacked anyone.

518
00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:41,360
What was the starting point of the developments in Ukraine?

519
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,680
The starting point was the coup d'etat,

520
00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:47,680
as well as the flare-up of violence in Donbass.

521
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,040
And we are protecting ourselves, our people,

522
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:53,680
our country, and our future.

523
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,360
As far as religion in general is concerned,

524
00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:02,000
the thing is it does not manifest mostly externally.

525
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,200
It's not just about going to church every day

526
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:06,960
and kneeling to the ground.

527
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,120
Religion resides within your heart.

528
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,320
This is our culture.

529
00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:15,960
It's very human-oriented.

530
00:34:17,240 --> 00:34:21,360
You know, Dostoyevsky is very well-known in the West

531
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,720
as a genius of the Russian culture

532
00:34:24,720 --> 00:34:26,640
and the Russian literature.

533
00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:28,279
And he spoke about that a lot.

534
00:34:28,279 --> 00:34:30,359
He spoke about the Russian soul.

535
00:34:30,359 --> 00:34:33,039
The thing is, Western society is more pragmatic,

536
00:34:33,039 --> 00:34:37,480
whereas a Russian person, a Russian is more concerned

537
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:41,879
about eternal things, moral things, values.

538
00:34:42,599 --> 00:34:44,839
Maybe you'll disagree with me,

539
00:34:44,839 --> 00:34:48,159
but I think Western culture is more pragmatic.

540
00:34:50,119 --> 00:34:51,759
I'm not saying this is a bad thing.

541
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:57,080
This is what gives the golden billion the chance

542
00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,920
to show some very good achievements

543
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:03,960
in practical terms, in science.

544
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:06,920
The thing is, we look the same,

545
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:10,160
but our conscience, our mindset are somewhat different.

546
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,200
So do you see the supernatural at work

547
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:17,080
as you look out across what's happening in the world now?

548
00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:18,080
Do you see God?

549
00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:19,080
Do you see God?

550
00:35:19,319 --> 00:35:21,360
Look out across what's happening in the world now.

551
00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:22,480
Do you see God at work?

552
00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:23,799
Do you ever think to yourself,

553
00:35:23,799 --> 00:35:26,319
these are forces that are not human?

554
00:35:32,279 --> 00:35:34,679
No, honestly, I don't think that.

555
00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:39,920
I think the world community is developing

556
00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,079
following the inherent laws,

557
00:35:42,079 --> 00:35:43,960
and these laws are what they are,

558
00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:45,799
and there's no escaping that.

559
00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:51,400
It was always like that in mankind's history.

560
00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:56,400
Some countries rose, some peoples got bigger, got stronger,

561
00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:01,320
and then they left the international stage,

562
00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:04,080
losing the quality they had been accustomed to.

563
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,120
Well, let's look at Genghis Khan

564
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:13,600
or the Golden Horde and the Conquerors,

565
00:36:13,799 --> 00:36:16,400
or let's remember the Roman Empire.

566
00:36:19,519 --> 00:36:22,519
You might think that there was nothing greater

567
00:36:22,519 --> 00:36:27,319
than Roman history and the history of mankind,

568
00:36:27,319 --> 00:36:29,759
but then the barbarians got stronger,

569
00:36:29,759 --> 00:36:31,920
got more numerous, and Rome fell.

570
00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,239
They had a head start.

571
00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,239
Their economy started to grow stronger,

572
00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:45,240
and the regime opposed by the Roman Empire fell apart,

573
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,720
but it took five centuries.

574
00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:53,720
The Roman Empire had been disintegrating for five centuries.

575
00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:56,840
The difference from the current state of affairs

576
00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,120
consists in the fact that right now,

577
00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:01,320
the developments are far more rapid

578
00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:03,880
than they used to be during the Roman times.

579
00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,080
So when does the AI empire start, do you think?

580
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:15,200
You're asking increasingly more complicated questions.

581
00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:30,520
In order to respond to this question,

582
00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:35,080
you would need to be an expert in big numbers,

583
00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,240
in big data, in AI.

584
00:37:37,240 --> 00:37:41,000
The thing is, humanity is facing a lot of threats

585
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:44,040
in terms of genetics, for instance,

586
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,880
because right now, geneticists can't go as far as to

587
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:52,080
create a specialized human being like an athlete

588
00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,000
or a genetically engineered military man.

589
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:55,840
What do you think of that?

590
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:57,600
And a chip has been incorporated

591
00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,040
into the brain by Elon Musk.

592
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,360
Well, I think there's no stopping Elon Musk.

593
00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:06,800
He's gonna do what he thinks he needs to do,

594
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:08,480
but you need, I don't know,

595
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:10,800
to find some common ground with him.

596
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,519
You have to search for ways to persuade him.

597
00:38:13,519 --> 00:38:15,039
I think he's a smart person,

598
00:38:15,039 --> 00:38:18,600
and you've got to come to an agreement,

599
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:19,960
come to terms with him.

600
00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,320
This process needs to be formalized

601
00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:24,160
and subjected to certain rules.

602
00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:27,160
Humanity has to give some thought

603
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,240
to what's gonna happen to humanity

604
00:38:30,240 --> 00:38:35,240
due to the new developments in genetics or in AI.

605
00:38:36,240 --> 00:38:38,760
You can't forecast what's gonna happen

606
00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:41,800
in a more or less accurate fashion,

607
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:47,680
but once humanity felt an existential threat

608
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:51,920
coming from nuclear weapons,

609
00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,640
back then all countries who possessed such weapons

610
00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:57,360
decided to come to terms with one another

611
00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,680
because they understood that nuclear weaponry

612
00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:02,520
could drive humanity to extinction.

613
00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,640
So once an understanding comes

614
00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:08,799
that unbridled development of AI or genetics

615
00:39:08,799 --> 00:39:11,879
or other fields which cannot be stemmed,

616
00:39:11,879 --> 00:39:13,920
you know, you can't stop them,

617
00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:16,960
research is gonna continue as it was impossible

618
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:20,480
to prevent powder from being used.

619
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:26,039
And once humanity understands

620
00:39:26,039 --> 00:39:28,400
that the threat comes from these fields,

621
00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:33,400
then the time will come to come to an agreement

622
00:39:34,039 --> 00:39:36,360
on an interstate basis, intergovernmental basis

623
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,880
on how to regulate these fields.

624
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:41,599
I appreciate all the time you've given us.

625
00:39:41,599 --> 00:39:43,079
I just gonna ask you one last question

626
00:39:43,079 --> 00:39:45,280
and that's about someone who's very famous

627
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:47,920
in the United States, probably not here,

628
00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,599
Evan Gershkovitz, who's the Wall Street Journal reporter.

629
00:39:50,599 --> 00:39:55,280
He's 32 and he's been in prison for almost a year.

630
00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:56,840
This is a huge story in the United States

631
00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,000
and I just wanna ask you directly

632
00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:00,519
without getting into the details of it

633
00:40:00,519 --> 00:40:01,960
or your version of what happened,

634
00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:04,599
if as a sign of your decency,

635
00:40:04,599 --> 00:40:07,440
you would be willing to release him to us

636
00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:09,720
and we'll bring him back to the United States?

637
00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:22,119
Well, we've done so many gestures of goodwill

638
00:40:22,119 --> 00:40:24,599
out of decency that I think we've run out of them.

639
00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:27,719
We've never seen anyone reciprocate to us

640
00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:29,519
in a similar manner.

641
00:40:29,519 --> 00:40:34,519
But on the whole, we are willing to talk.

642
00:40:34,519 --> 00:40:39,519
We do not rule out that we can't do that

643
00:40:43,639 --> 00:40:48,639
if there is movement to accommodate us on the other side.

644
00:40:49,839 --> 00:40:52,039
And when I talk about the Russian side,

645
00:40:52,079 --> 00:40:54,159
I'm talking about our special services

646
00:40:54,159 --> 00:40:56,440
and the special services are in contact with one another.

647
00:40:56,440 --> 00:40:58,000
They're talking about this subject.

648
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:02,440
There is no taboo on discussing this issue.

649
00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,759
It can be solved and we're willing to solve it.

650
00:41:04,759 --> 00:41:09,759
But there are certain terms that need to be met there

651
00:41:11,759 --> 00:41:15,119
by discussed via special services channels.

652
00:41:15,119 --> 00:41:16,719
I think an agreement can be reached.

653
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:19,440
So, I mean, this stuff has happened for a long time.

654
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,679
So, typically, I mean, this stuff has happened

655
00:41:21,679 --> 00:41:23,720
for obviously centuries.

656
00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:26,200
One country catches another spy within its borders.

657
00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,679
It trades it for one of its own intel guys

658
00:41:28,679 --> 00:41:29,880
in another country.

659
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:32,679
I think what makes, and it's not my business,

660
00:41:32,679 --> 00:41:34,079
but what makes this difference is the guy's

661
00:41:34,079 --> 00:41:36,039
obviously not a spy, he's a kid.

662
00:41:36,039 --> 00:41:38,119
And maybe he was breaking your law in some way,

663
00:41:38,119 --> 00:41:40,240
but he's not a super spy and everybody knows that.

664
00:41:40,240 --> 00:41:43,039
And he's being held hostage in exchange, which is true.

665
00:41:43,039 --> 00:41:45,280
With respect, it's true and everyone knows it's true.

666
00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:48,320
So, maybe he's in a different category.

667
00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:52,000
Maybe it's not fair to ask for somebody else

668
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,120
in exchange for letting him out.

669
00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:55,080
Maybe it degrades Russia to do that.

670
00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:05,280
Well, you can give different interpretations

671
00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,400
to what constitutes a spy,

672
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,800
but there are some things under law.

673
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:12,920
If a person gets some secret information,

674
00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:17,480
does that confidentially, then that is qualified as espionage

675
00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:19,760
and that is precisely what he was doing.

676
00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:23,280
He was receiving some confidential information.

677
00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:26,159
He's getting that information in secret.

678
00:42:26,159 --> 00:42:28,760
Maybe he'd been implicated in that.

679
00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,320
Maybe he did that out of his own volition

680
00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:32,559
or due to carelessness.

681
00:42:32,559 --> 00:42:37,880
But as facts stand, this is qualified under law as espionage.

682
00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:39,880
And he was caught red-handed

683
00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,679
when he was receiving that information.

684
00:42:42,679 --> 00:42:43,880
And it's been proven.

685
00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:47,920
So, if it had been some far-fetched excuse,

686
00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,360
some fabrication, then it would have been a different story.

687
00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:54,480
But he was caught red-handed

688
00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:59,200
when he was getting in secret some confidential information.

689
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:00,720
But are you suggesting he was working

690
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:02,480
for the US government or NATO,

691
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:05,640
or he was just a reporter who was given material

692
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:06,599
he wasn't supposed to have?

693
00:43:06,599 --> 00:43:09,920
Those seem like very different things.

694
00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:18,920
I don't know who he was working for,

695
00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:21,280
but I would like to reiterate that.

696
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:23,680
Getting confidential information in secret

697
00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:25,960
is called espionage.

698
00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:28,519
Maybe he might have worked under the banner

699
00:43:28,519 --> 00:43:29,720
of the American Special Services.

700
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:33,200
I don't think he was working for Monaco.

701
00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:37,160
Even though Monaco might be interested

702
00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:38,440
in getting that information.

703
00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:40,800
But it's up to the Special Services

704
00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:42,440
to come to an agreement.

705
00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:47,400
And some groundwork has been laid.

706
00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:50,159
There are people who, in our view,

707
00:43:50,159 --> 00:43:53,639
are not tied to Special Services.

708
00:43:53,639 --> 00:43:58,679
You know, there is a person serving a sentence

709
00:43:58,679 --> 00:44:00,200
in an ally country.

710
00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:03,400
Well, in a country that is an ally of the US.

711
00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:07,400
And that person, due to patriotic sentiment,

712
00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:12,039
eliminated some bandits in one of the European capitals.

713
00:44:12,079 --> 00:44:13,880
During the development of the caucuses,

714
00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:16,440
do you know what he was doing?

715
00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:19,639
I don't want to say that, but I'll do that anyway.

716
00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:27,559
He was laying our soldiers, taking prisoners on the road,

717
00:44:27,559 --> 00:44:32,559
and then he drove his car over their heads.

718
00:44:32,559 --> 00:44:33,840
What kind of a person is that?

719
00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:36,039
Do you think that's a human being?

720
00:44:36,039 --> 00:44:40,320
And, you know, a patriot decided to eliminate that beast

721
00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:41,800
and one of the European countries,

722
00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:45,320
he did that out of his own volition or not?

723
00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:48,440
Well, that is a different question.

724
00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:50,480
Yeah, but Evan Kirschkewitz did that.

725
00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,400
I mean, that's a completely different...

726
00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:56,320
I mean, that's a 32-year-old, like, newspaper reporter.

727
00:44:56,320 --> 00:45:01,320
He is not just a journalist.

728
00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:04,920
He is a journalist who was getting

729
00:45:04,920 --> 00:45:06,960
confidential information in secret.

730
00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:08,360
Yes, that's different.

731
00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:13,840
But still, I'm telling you about other people

732
00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:18,400
who are basically controlled by the U.S. authorities,

733
00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:22,079
whatever they are serving a prison sentence.

734
00:45:22,079 --> 00:45:25,960
And there is an ongoing dialogue among the special services,

735
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:27,680
and this has to be done in a calm,

736
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:29,400
responsible, professional manner.

737
00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:32,640
The contacts are ongoing, so let them do their work.

738
00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:37,760
I do not rule out that the person you've referred to

739
00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:41,320
can go back to his country, Mr. Gachkovich.

740
00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:48,440
Moreover, it would be senseless to keep him in prison in Russia.

741
00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:53,440
But we want our counterparts.

742
00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:57,120
The special services in the U.S.

743
00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:00,880
should also think about helping our special services

744
00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:02,320
in achieving their goals.

745
00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:04,280
So we are willing to talk.

746
00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:07,160
Moreover, these talks are continuing.

747
00:46:07,159 --> 00:46:10,480
And there were many successful examples of these talks

748
00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:13,119
crowned with success, and maybe this is going to be crowned

749
00:46:13,119 --> 00:46:14,119
with success as well.

750
00:46:14,119 --> 00:46:16,719
But we have to come to an agreement.

751
00:46:16,719 --> 00:46:18,079
I hope you let him out.

752
00:46:18,079 --> 00:46:20,079
Mr. President, thank you.

753
00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,559
Well, I would also want him to go home.

754
00:46:27,559 --> 00:46:30,559
And I'm absolutely sincere with you.

755
00:46:30,559 --> 00:46:34,920
But let me say once again, the dialogue continues.

756
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:38,200
The more public we render things of this nature,

757
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:41,200
the more difficult it becomes to resolve them.

758
00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:45,400
I wonder if that's true with the war, though, also.

759
00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:47,639
I mean, I just want to, I guess I want to ask one more question,

760
00:46:47,639 --> 00:46:50,639
which is, and maybe you don't want to say so

761
00:46:50,639 --> 00:46:54,360
for strategic reasons, but are you worried

762
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:58,760
that what's happening in Ukraine could lead to something

763
00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:00,440
much larger and much more horrible?

764
00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:03,920
And how motivated are you just to call the U.S. government

765
00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:05,920
and say, let's come to terms?

766
00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:10,720
Well, listen, I think I've said that.

767
00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:15,559
We do not refuse to talk, to negotiate.

768
00:47:15,559 --> 00:47:16,800
We're willing to do that.

769
00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:22,480
It's the Western side, you know, and Ukraine is a satellite

770
00:47:22,480 --> 00:47:23,960
country for the U.S.

771
00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:25,760
It's evident.

772
00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:30,720
You know, I don't want you to take that as a swear word.

773
00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:33,840
We understand that that is what is happening.

774
00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:36,400
You know, the financial support is there.

775
00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:37,840
It's enormous.

776
00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:41,160
Germany is following suit.

777
00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:45,200
Dozens of billions of U.S. dollars are fueled into Ukraine.

778
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:49,840
There is a huge influx of arms, of weapons.

779
00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:54,640
So, really, you should tell the current Ukrainian leadership,

780
00:47:54,640 --> 00:47:58,640
well, let's stop, let's sit at the negotiating table.

781
00:47:58,639 --> 00:48:01,239
We've received this absurd decree.

782
00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:02,359
Sure, but you already said it.

783
00:48:02,359 --> 00:48:03,679
I didn't think you meant it as an insult

784
00:48:03,679 --> 00:48:05,199
because you already said correctly.

785
00:48:05,199 --> 00:48:08,199
It's been reported that Ukraine was prevented

786
00:48:08,199 --> 00:48:10,159
from negoti

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